Torpedo.



N0.726,796. y PATBNTED APR.28,1903.

MJFISGHHABBR.

TORPEDO.

APPLICATION PILBDDEO. 5,'1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

N0 MODEL.

No. 726,796. P ATENTBD APR. 2811903,

M'. EISCHHABER.

TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 5, 1902. l N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET zl f UNITED ST1-taiesl t PATENT l OFFICE.

MANFRED FISCHIIABER, OF NEW YORIIF{,"N. Y,

TORPEDQ.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,7-9\6,date`d VApril28,

Application tiled December 5, 1902. Serial No. 133,943. \No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern: v

Be it known that If-MANFRED FISCHHABER,

a citizen of the-United States, residing in New York, in the borough ofManhattan and State fof New York,.ha've invented certain new and 'usefulImprovements in Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to submarine torpedoes of that class generallyknown 'as the Whitehead torpedo, which are propelled under water bymeans of compressed air.

It has been found that there are certain obf compressed air isdischarged from one sideof the stern of the torpedo, so as to guide thesame in either one or the other direction. After some time the torpedowill be propelled in an entirely different direction than whenA it rstreaches the water.

For this purpose the invention consists of a submarine torpedo, meansfor propelling and steering the same in'one or the other direction, andconsists more specifically of means for propelling the torpedo, a pipeconnected at one ond with a supply-pipeand atv the other with two branchpipes-which terminate at the outside of thetorpedo at each side of thestern of the same, means for closing one of said branch pipes, a valvein the iirst pipe, and'means for actuating said valve.

The invention consists, further, of certain additional details otconstruction Vand combinations of parts, which will be fully describedhereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of therear part'of a submarine torpedo to which my improved steering device isapplied. Fig. 2 is a top View of part of Fig. i. Fig. 3 is a rear endyview of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views of a ship and thecourse 'which the propelled torpedo has 'taken after discharge, andFigs.

.6 and 7 are detailviews of the steering ydevice. r

Similar letters of] spending parts. g.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a torpedoin which is suitablyarranged a` storrefereuce indicate correagetank B, from which a pipe Gleads to a motor D, which operates the propelling-shaft S andpropellersPP'. Afterthe storage-tank B has been filled with a suitablemedium, as

vcompressed air or steam, the stop-cock E is closed, but opened by thesudden discharge of the. torpedo by the backward falling of its handle'e, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This conducts the medium so as tooperate themotorD and propellers P P. .Connectedto the pipe (l is apipeF, which conducts some of the medium-,coin pressed air,for instance-tothe stern of the torpedo to twogcircularlyshaped pipes GrA G, which passoutwardly of the'shell of the torpedo, andare openedand closed at theirends by a cap g, depending on the predetermined course of thetorpedo.The

compressed'air emanating from the open side of the pipe G in horizont-aldirection and transversely to the length of the torpedo will, due to thereactive force of the water, move `the stern ofthe torpedo in theopposite direction, and thereby continually chan-ge the direction ofthesaine. -The torpedo would then take the course H J K,- as shown inFig.i-that is, transcribe a circle. As this qualit-y alone would be almostuseless and as it very often becomes desirable and necessary that thetorpedo take both a curved as well as a straight course, as shown inFigdby H J L or in Fig. 5 byR 'l Ua mechanism simi.-

lar to that used in torpedoes for regulating the distance which thetorpedo should travel is employed to actua-te a valve-rod of the valveor cock X, which alters the intensity of the outflow of the air from thepipe AGr, as well as opens and closes it, thereby altering the curvatureof the course of the torpedo.

To the shaft S is attached a miter or small bevel-gears,wl1ich mesheswith'a larger bevelgear f 'and on the axis of which is arranged a piniont', which meshes in a gear-wheel K.

These gears are so chosen as to considerably reduce the velocity of theshaft and are generally combined with suitable levers to throw out thepropelling mechanism after a certain time and so end the traverse of thetorpedo.

In my improved device the gear-wheels, as above described, are made useof, and to a stationary point ais hinged an elbow-lever b a c, one end,b, of which passes over near to the gear-wheel K, so as to engage with'a lug y' on the periphery of the wheel, the other end, c, beingconnected to a link z, which is connected to the free end of theValve-rod a: of the valve or cock X. 'Io this gear-wheel is alsoattached a pin y, which engages with the rod w of the valve.` This linki: and lug y may be placed on the gear-wheel 7c at any point, and othersimilar lugs, pins, or cams may be also placed thereon, so as to makeall desirable combinations of movements and permit a Varied maneuveringof the torpedo.

The operation of my improved torpedo is as follows: `The torpedo A isdischarged from the ship of war or torpedoboat M, and by the suddenthrust givenv to it the handle of the supply-cock E is thrown inbackward po- .sitionras shown in dotted lines inFig. l.

The compressed air 'passing then through pipe O actuates motor D andshaft S,'which in turn actuates propellers P P' and thereduction-gearing connected therewith. At the same time some of thecompressed air, the quantity being regulated by valve e2, passes throughthe pipe F and to the pipes G. The velocity of the shaft S is reduced bysuitable gearing, so that the gear-wheel K rotates very slowly, and thevalve X being closed no air emanates from the pipe G, and consequentlythe torpedo is propelled in a straight-line course. After sometime,usually predetermined, the lug 'y' will engage with the end b of theelbow-lever b a' c, and thereby open the valve X, permitting air toemanate from one of the 'pipes G, and so chan-ge the course of thetorpedo, as shown by RT in Fig. 5. By the time the torpedo arrives atpoint T the gear-wheel K will have passed through a part of itsrevolution and the pin y will engage with the rod a; and

again close the valve X, thereby preventing any air from emanating fromthe pipe G, and so permitting the torpedo to be propelled in a straightline again. It is clear that by a suitable combination of thearrangement of the pins and lugs on the gearwheel any course, curved orstraight, may be traversed by the torpedo.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a submarinetorpedo, the combination of means for propelling the torpedovasupply-pipe, a pipe connected with said supby the motor, a propeller onsaid shaft, a pipe connected with said supply-'pipe and terminating intwo branch pipes passing to the outside of the torpedo, means forclosing one or the other of said brauch pipes, a valve for regulatingthe efflux of the medium from the opened branch pip'e, and means foractuating said valve at a predetermined time, substantially as setforth.

3. In.a submarine torpedo, the combination ot' means for propellingthe'torpedo, a supply-pipe, a pipe connected at one end with saidsupply-pipeand at the other with branch pipes which terminate atthe outside of thetorpedo one at each side of the stern ofi the same, means for closingone of said branch pipes, a valve in said con meeting-pipe, a lever-armon the spindle of the valve, a reduction-gear between thepropeller-shaft and valve, a gear-wheel connected to saidreduction-gear, a pin on the gear-wheel to engage with and actuate thelever-arm in one direction, an-elbow-lever, a link connecting saidlever-arm and elbow-lever, and a lug on the gear-wheel adapted to engagewith the free end of the elbow-lever for actuating the lever-arm in theopposite direction, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MANFRED 'FISCHIIABER Witnesses:

PAUL GonrEL, C. I. GOEPEL.

IOO

